


Save The Genies!

by StarLynnder



Category: Looney Tunes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24322768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarLynnder/pseuds/StarLynnder





	Save The Genies!

“We gotta save the genies!” Bugs cried out.

I looked around in the empty Genie Temple with nothing coming out of the lamps. I thought about my girlfriend whose Patronus is a Genie (well, one of them is). The thought of Lynn, hypothetically, not being able to produce a Patronus anymore horrified me. So I nodded profusely at Bugs Bunny and Taz the Tasmanian Devil, eager to take on this mission with them.

We’ve gotten through the Aztec and the Viking Era, and are now in the Arabian Era. Granny, that sweet old lady, decided to put me, Bugs and her pet Taz up as a team for this big adventure after an accident involving a “horrible, horrible creature” (which is just a tiny little mouse, really), a time machine and its core — a time gem, and a silly little pest controller who goes by the name of Daffy Duck. Now we find ourselves needing to save four genies representing the four elements who are each stuck in a different temple ALSO representing the four elements. Once we’ve saved them and gotten them back into the Genie Temple, they will reward us with a Boss Token which we can use to continue with our quest.

“C’mon, let’s go!” Bugs led the way out of the temple followed by me and Taz.

“Where exactly are the temples where they’re held prisoner?” I asked out loud, hoping the game will (somehow) answer me. 

“Let’s look around town,” Bugs replied. “Maybe we’ll stumble upon a temple and start there.” The “town” is really called Sunset Alley and has many market stalls around the streets and annoying freaks that throw boomerangs at you for no reason when you come close to them. 

We decided to try the temple next to the Genie Temple first. It was the Fire Temple. One step in and oh, boy.

The first temple and the first genie and I’m already encountering lava. Great. And, oh, did I mention falling rocks hitting the platforms that can knock you into the lava if you’re not careful?

Great. But dangerous. And hot.

The Water Genie was being held prisoner there. We can see him on the platform at the end of the lava-filled room, all blue and glowing, waiting for rescue. The first platform in front of us looked like it was ready to crack and fall into the lava any time. Bugs took the first step and landed softly on the fragile platform with his earcopter ability. Then he reached the next platform and jumped onto a moving platform and called me and Taz onto it using the Magic Mirror. 

On the moving platform, I stayed close to the center to not fall into the lava. The next platform had red hot rocks falling onto it (nice). Taz stepped onto the platform and picked up a metal shield and held it above his head, protecting himself from the falling rocks. Then he moved onto the platform where the Genie was standing, put down the shield, and called us to him. Dropping from the sky out of nowhere seems random but it was a great way to reach your friend or to call him to you when he gets out of your sight, or too far from you, like Granny taught us.

All three of us are now standing in front of the Water Genie. “Thank you for saving me,” he said. “I am free once again!” And he flew off and reappeared in one of the lamps in the Genie Temple.

Great! One down, three to go. And now comes the hard part of getting back to the entrance of the Fire Temple and out of this lava pit.

Taz grabbed the shield again, made it past some more falling rocks, and jumped onto another moving platform on the other side of the room. He reached a solid, stationary platform in the middle of the room, put down his shield, and called us to the platform. Then Bugs softly and lightly walked across the first fragile platform again and jumped to the entrance of the temple. Then he called us to the entrance and we all got out of there. Phew!

Barely half an hour into the Arabian Era and I’m already sweating like crazy. And I don’t think it’s going to end until we finish this era. We’re in a place in the middle of a desert after all. I wish I had worn more antiperspirant or brought a new set of clothes with me for my adventure with these two.

So we walked down Sunset Alley and made a right turn. We headed for the Royal Gardens where another temple was to the right of it. In front of the Royal Gardens entrance we jumped on a freak’s head and squashed him and kicked (and spun) him out before he could throw any boomerangs at us. It was kinda fun to do that to freaks so we did that every chance we get because, I mean, come on, for the whole game we’ve been looking for these guys in each era trying to return them to their proper, original eras and we’d find them crying in hidden corners or behind buildings and waterfalls and stuff — poor things, lonely and scared and terrified of this foreign era in time and stuff. And when we finally kick or spin them back to their proper eras THIS is how they thank us — by charging at us with weapons or by throwing boomerangs at us?! Not very nice or grateful characters, I must say. So yes, they’re “freaks”. And yes, we squish them and kick or spin them out of the way before they could do any harm to us.

So we arrived at the Earth Temple, located next to the Royal Gardens. We went inside. The smell of soil and dirt and pillars and rabbit holes filled my nostrils. At least it wasn’t as hot as the Fire Temple and there’s no lava in here, I hope.

Bugs and Taz got to work immediately. Taz dug open the obstructed rabbit hole in the ground and jumped onto the pillar. Instinctively, I stepped onto the pillar with him. Bugs then dived into the rabbit hole and went underneath our pillar and bumped us up. Taz and I jumped onto the Earth above and went down again into another pit. It had another rabbit hole and pillar. I stood on the pillar and let Taz do the honours of digging the hole open again. Then he called Bugs out from the underground and into the pit with him. Taz stood on the pillar with me as Bugs bumped us up again from below the ground. 

We stepped onto some more Earth above and broke some vases and flower pots (gears can sometimes be hidden in them). Then we dropped down into a larger pit with more rabbit holes and pillars. I, a human being, stood back and let the rabbit and the devil do their thing(s). I saw a blue gear floating above the tall pillar in front of me. I waited until Bugs had bumped it down before I stepped onto it. Bugs bumped me up again and I collected the blue gear floating above me. Bugs then bumped me down again and I moved on to the pillar right below the tall platform where the Wind Genie was being held prisoner.

Taz moved ahead and dug out another obstructed hole. Then he went around the Wind Genie’s platform and broke every vase he could find. The Bugs did the honours of bumping me up to the Genie’s platform. I walked towards the Genie and set him free. 

“Thank you for rescuing me. I am free again!” And the Wind Genie flew off to take his place inside his lamp in the Genie Temple.

“We’re halfway there,” I announced. “Two down, two to go!” Hang in there, Lynn. I'm coming!

The three of us got out of the Earth Temple the same way we came, using the same rabbit-hole-and-pillar process multiple times. We were back in Sunset Alley, and we once again kicked and spun that boomerang-throwing freak out of the way just because.

“Now where?” Bugs asked out loud. Taz shrugged, not knowing either. I decided to take the lead. Lynn, my girlfriend, knows this game and this place like the back of her hand. She’s told me all about it and I’ve played it with her. Guess I should try to do her proud by leading these guys with what I know…… 

“Follow me. We’ll reach the next temple pretty soon.” And they followed me back to the middle of Sunset Alley, down some stairs, and down this one little alleyway with another freak standing in front of another temple. We got him out of the way too and entered the temple. It was the Wind Temple, and my, my, was it breezy!

The Wind Temple, instead of walls in the middle of the room, had nicely-animated wind blowing around us in a spiral, as if the temple was located in the middle of a vortex. The Earth Genie was trapped on a high platform on the other side of the room, and between him and us were 10 air streams that can be activated by Taz spinning on the switches in front of each air stream.

A puzzle, yay! We had to figure out which switch activates which air streams and form a path of air from the first row of air streams — the ones nearest to the temple entrance — to the last. Then Bugs would jump on Taz’s head and dive into the air stream from above and float on top of it (he’s light enough to do that). Then he would jump from stream to stream until he reaches the platform where the Earth Genie is trapped. 

Bugs and I let Taz, the least brainy of our trio (ironically), figure this one out since he’s the one who can do the spinny-thing. We stood aside as he spun on the switches to avoid getting hurt by him as he spun. 

Staring at the vortex around us made my head spin. I tried my best not to look at the whirling air around us as Taz solved the puzzle. About 15 minutes later (yawn, but good job, Taz, for a Tasmanian Devil!) Taz finally formed a path of air leading up to the platform and Bugs dived into the first stream. He then jumped and floated until he reached the Earth Genie’s platform and set him free. The Genie thanked us and disappeared into thin air (haha) and reappeared back at the Genie Temple.

“Three down, one to go!” Bugs hollered. I hugged Taz, who blushed. He wasn’t the best at communicating, negotiating or smarts but he sure is strong and can be patient enough to solve a puzzle when he needs to be. I didn’t have the heart to jump on his head just to dive into an air stream, even though it looked like fun, although I’m not sure myself if I’m light enough to perform the same feat Bugs Bunny just did. But never mind. Onto the last Genie!

Bugs and Taz followed me out of the Wind Temple (Bugs had to jump on Taz’s head again to get back up to the entrance and call us back up, too. Sorry, Taz.) and up a flight of stairs. We entered the first door we saw and we found ourselves in the Water Temple, where the Fire Genie was trapped. A rectangular pool laid before us. Finally! I can wash all this sweat and dirt and dust off my body and…… oh, yeah. I didn’t bring a spare change of clothes. Nuts.

A big switch laid next to the pool. Bugs jumped onto it, but nothing happened. Taz next, joining Bugs. Still nothing happened. So I jumped on it, making it the three of us and we heard a gate come down from underwater somewhere.

From the switch we were standing on, we could see the Fire Genie deeper into the Water Temple, his green and orange colours popping out against the calm blue hues of the temple. But he was blocked by a large black gate and it looks like we’ll have to swim underwater and come out on the other side of the gate to get to him. And…...wait, what’s that I see in the water?

Ohmigosh, PIRANHAS! And not one but TWO. TWO. PIRANHAS. As if dealing with them in the Baboon Realm of the Aztec Era wasn’t enough already?! Now we have to dodge these vicious water creatures as well in order to save the last Genie. Ugh.

“Hey, look……” Bugs interrupted my thoughts. He pointed at an orange box with pictures of bombs all over it in the corner of the room. Great, bombs! That’ll blow up those piranhas for sure after they eat ‘em up. But first we’ll have to entice them to come to us…… 

Taz, being sort of a monster himself (he’s called the Tasmanian Devil, after all) and not afraid of other monsters, jumped into the pool first. And sure enough, as soon as he jumped in, those green, ugly, sharp-toothed and hungry creatures started coming out of a hole in the wall in the pool. Taz quickly jumped back out of the pool to safety. “Phew!” he sighed, wiping his forehead with a furry brown arm.

“Let me take care of this……” Bugs ran over to the bomb box and kicked it open. A bomb appeared, moments from exploding. Taz and I backed away from the pool as Bugs threw the bomb into it and we watched as one of the piranhas swam to it and gobbled it up. Almost immediately, BOOM! Water splashed in all directions as the bomb exploded inside the piranha, leaving nothing but a skeleton behind.

I smiled at this cartoony happening. Classic Looney Tunes and their slapstick humour. I never get tired of it and I mentioned this to Bugs. “Wanna have a go at it yourself?” the rabbit smiled at me and gestured towards the box. I nodded gleefully. “Thanks, Bugs!” I ran to the box, kicked it open, picked up the bomb (I never thought I’d ever touch or handle a bomb but well, anything for the Genies!) and threw it into the pool and watched again as the other idiotic fish did the same thing and shared the same fate as its friend.

“Great! Now the coast is clear and we can swim to the other side. Who wants to go?” 

Bugs and Taz looked at each other and looked at me. “Well, uh,” Bugs began at me, “you’re a human and humans have the biggest lungs compared to a rabbit or a Tasmanian Devil, so……” 

Cool fact and reasoning, Bugs. But…… “Yeah, but Taz is the only one of us who hasn’t saved a Genie on his own yet. I mean, in the Fire Temple all three of us faced the Water Genie when we set him free. In the Earth Temple, I was the one who set the Wind Genie free after I stood on that pillar and you bumped me up from underground, remember? And in the Wind Temple, you were the one who jumped from air stream to air stream and reached the Earth Genie and set him free. So that just leaves Taz to swim over and set THIS one free.” I pointed at the Devil. “Plus, I don’t have a spare change of clothes, so…… I’ll let Taz rescue this one.”

Taz rubbed his big hands gleefully, happy to be given a chance to do the honours. “Well, there’s plenty of sunlight and heat outside……,” Bugs gestured to the entrance of the temple with his thumb, “...... to dry your clothes but alright, have it your way. Glad to see you’re the type who likes to play fair.” So Taz took a deep breath, dived into the water and swam into the hole in the wall of the pool. 

I don’t know exactly how much volume of air a Tasmanian Devil’s lungs could take in. And I’m not sure how good and fast swimmer Taz is either. But yeah, I like to play fair. I like everyone in the team to have a chance at doing and achieving something individually the same number of times as everyone else, so yes. And Taz was the one who risked his life and flesh to lure the piranhas out anyway by being the first to jump into the pool after the underwater gate went down. So he earned this. He can do it, I’m sure.

From our side of the temple, Bugs and I saw Taz’s head emerge from the water near the Fire Genie. He made it! He jumped onto the square platform the Genie was standing on and released him back into the Genie Temple.

So now all four Genies — Water, Wind, Earth and Fire — are back inside their lamps at the Genie Temple, reunited once more. Together, they focused their power and made a Boss Token appear in the center of the temple.

Bugs, Taz and I jumped for joy. We did it. I used the magic mirror to bring Taz back to our side of the room so he wouldn’t have to swim back to us anymore and we all walked out of the Water Temple and made our way back to the Genie Temple (and got wet as Taz shook himself dry under the sunlight and heat of Sunset Alley. We laughed and tried to flick the water back at him but he only laughed back and shook himself harder and made us even wetter, which I’m not complaining about ‘cause phew, it’s bloody HOT out here in the middle of a desert!).

Back at the Genie Temple, the view that greeted us nearly moved us to tears. All four Genies, each representing an element of Nature, floating serenely and colourfully from their lamps around the Boss Token, was as rewarding as this mission was tiring. The Boss Token even had Babba Chop’s face on it! Nice. We collapsed together at the entrance of the temple, too exhausted to properly show the Genies some formality of any kind.

But of course, this is a kids’ cartoon game, where Logic does not necessarily apply in each scenario. So somehow we managed to recover our energy quickly (or was it Genie magic? We’ll never know……). Bugs, Taz and I got up again and together, hand in hand, we walked towards the Boss Token and collected it — all three of us at the same time. The Boss Token magically spun and flew out of the Genie Temple and landed above the entrance of Babba’s Cave.

From the middle of the Genie Temple, the four Genies smiled at us and sang praises at us, thanking us for freeing and reuniting them and all that. Bugs, Taz and I sighed peacefully and soaked it all in. After all that hard work, encountering lava and falling rocks and rabbit holes and pillars and air streams and piranhas and pools we had every right to relax for a bit and get our pats on the back (thank you, Genies). Yes, we have to move on with the game until the very end. But for now, let me soak this in as well ‘cause I started and finished this Genie-Saving mission without changing my filthy, sweaty clothes even once……

“I did it, Lynn,” I thought to my girlfriend. “I brought back the Genies. I rescued them, with Bugs and Taz’s help. I brought back all four of them — a hundred percent of them. You can now cast a Patronus once again, like you used to. Just think of me and you and the adventures we’ve had together and you’ll be able to do it. Happy First Anniversary, dear. Love you.”

THE END (of the story, not the game)!


End file.
